ESPN expert names Buccaneers rookie his favorite pick of NFL Draft

First-round draft picks can often significantly improve an NFL team, but the opening night of the NFL Draft isn't the only place you can get great talent.

Great teams build rosters in the following rounds, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans know that well — general manager Jason Licht has hit some home runs in the later frame, including safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and, even last year, getting starters in running back Bucky Irving, wideout Jalen McMillan and defensive back Tykee Smith.

So it should be no surprise that one of his Day 2 picks is getting some buzz. ESPN analysts recently went over a number of topics after the draft, and one of them asked each analyst what their favorite pick of the entire draft was. Ben Solak, who recently joined with ESPN after spending some time with The Ringer, looked to Tampa Bay with his favorite pick — Kansas State defensive back Jacob Parrish, who the Bucs selected with the No. 84-overall pick in the third round.

Here's what he had to say about Parrish:

"Parrish is a classic Todd Bowles cornerback — feisty, instinctive in zone, able to press and an excellent tackler in space," Solak wrote. "He reminds me of Tykee Smith, a 2024 third-rounder who emerged as a key nickel defender for Tampa Bay. The Bucs needed to add depth to their secondary, and they got a perfect scheme and culture fit in Parrish."

It makes sense that Parrish could remind you of Smith, since Parrish is likely stepping into Smith's spot in 2025. Parrish will likely take the nickel corner spot that Smith played last year, and Smith will in turn likely move to safety to play alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. That gets both of them on the field at the same time, and Parrish can showcase his electrifying speed and aggressive play style when he's in the nickel.

Parrish netted five picks in two years playing both inside and outside at Kansas State, and the Bucs hope he can put up that production in the pros. He'll have plenty of opportunity to see the field and do that, and alongside Smith, give Tampa Bay's secondary a whole new look.

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